Lessons from the Month of Iyar

In general, the month of Iyar is a month of physical healing, as we learn from the Hebrew letters of the name of the month, which are the initials of the words “I am God, your Healer.” One of the secret qualities of Iyar is the warmth of the fire of Lag Ba’Omer, the fire of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.  If you stand near enough to feel the warmth of the fire of Lag ba’Omer, this, so we are taught, has health benefits for the entire year.  On Lag Ba’Omer we received the inner Torah, the fire of the Torah, which is why we light fires in honor of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

Studying the Jewish soul also has a special connection to the inner secrets of the Torah, which must be understood in depth in order to heal a person’s soul. Therefore one could say that Lag Ba’Omer, the festival of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, is the festival of Jewish psychology.

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